Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 32 of chapter 128 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1990 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "parasite", in line 12, the following words:- and for this public purpose may require by regulation the registration of all bee colonies kept within the commonwealth and their location by the owners or caretakers thereof, the fee for which shall be determined by the secretary of administration and finance, which in no case shall exceed five dollars per registrant, regardless of the number of colonies so registered by him.

SECTION 2. The first paragraph of section 35 of said chapter 128, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following two sentences:- The department may by regulation establish a fee to be paid by any person or entity bringing hives, colonies or packages of bees into the commonwealth under this section, subject to approval by the secretary of administration and finance. Said fees shall not be assessed on the importation of five or fewer hives, colonies or packages so imported at one time, and shall be not less than five dollars for importation of from six to twenty hives, colonies or packages at one time, and shall be not less than twenty-five cents for each hive, colony or package in amounts over twenty imported at one time; provided, however, that in no event shall an individual or entity importing hives, colonies or packages of bees into the commonwealth be assessed any amount greater than two hundred and fifty dollars annually; provided, further, that no assessments shall be made for the importation of queen bees.